Martin Kaymer hoping for home success

• Martin Kaymer hoping to please German fans in Munich
• The 30-year-old hasn’t had a top ten finish since January
• Shane Lowry and Henrik Stenson also playing in the event

Martin Kaymer will be relying on the backing of his home fans at the BMW International Open this week as he looks to respond following his missed cut in the defence of his US Open title.

The 30-year-old struggled to six-over-par in his two rounds at Chambers Bay, missing out on the weekend by one stroke, and despite some inconsistent showings at the European Tour event in recent years, the 2008 champion is hopeful of putting on a strong performance for the German fans, but admits there will be added pressure.

“It is always very special for me to play in front of my home crowd,” Martin Kaymer told the European Tour. “I haven’t given them too much to cheer since my win in 2008, but hopefully this year I can put on a good show.

“I won’t need any extra motivation to get into the right mindset this week” – Martin Kaymer

“There’s always more pressure playing in front of a home crowd, but I like that pressure because it makes you want to please them and make them happy.

“The week after a major championship can sometimes be a quite difficult, especially with a nine-hour time difference, so I’m sure I’ll feel a little tired but I won’t need any extra motivation to get into the right mindset this week.”

Joining Kaymer at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried are fellow European Ryder Cup stars Victor Dubuisson, who also missed the cut at Chambers Bay, and 2006 champion Henrik Stenson, who faded in the Pacific Northwest after co-leading with Dustin Johnson after day one.

Among the field are six Scots: Paul Lawrie, Scott Jamieson, Chris Doak, David Drysdale, Craig Lee and Scott Henry.

Selected groups (local times)

8.40am – Martin Kaymer, Shane Lowry, Henrik Stenson

Winner in 2008 Martin Kaymer has been in dreadful form in recent months and hasn’t recorded a top ten finish in ten events since finishing fourth in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in late January. The German has been paired with Lowry, who played well all week at Chambers Bay and finished inside the top ten and just five shots behind winner Jordan Spieth, while the closest Stenson has come to winning this year is a runner-up spot at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

1.30pm – Thomas Bjorn, Victor Dubuisson, Maximilian Kieffer

Bjorn started 2015 well inside the top 50 at No.36 but nine events and no top tens later, the Dane finds himself down at No.79. However, he has won the BMW International Open twice. He’s been paired with Dubuisson, who is enduring his own struggles in 2015, and rising German star Kieffer, who has three top ten finishes in his last five European Tour starts.

1.40pm – Chris Wood, Soren Kjeldsen, Bernd Wiesberger

Fresh from his second European Tour win at the Lyoness Open, Wood will be hoping to make it back-to-back successes in Germany. He’s joined by Irish Open winner Kjeldsen – who followed that up with a runner-up finish at the Nordea Masters – and Wiesberger, who lost out to Kjeldsen in a play-off at Royal County Down.

Martin Kaymer :: Can he win?

Can Martin Kaymer end his poor 2015 form with a win in Germany? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.